Funnel



W. R. LEBERT..

- FUNNEL. APPLICATION FILED ocT.21. 1920.

Patented Apr. 4, 1922.

W/T/VESSZS INVENTOR; W/ll MM 3 l 55,77-

A TT ORNE Y.

Toforll whom it page/concern I 'Beitknown' that Lil remand Lnsnn'r,

' and hasior its primary object to provide an surplus liquid to be discharged into' 3 A UNITED sTATes PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM' R. LEBERT, or WATERTOWN, SOUTH DAKOTA.

- F U'NNEL,

a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at lVatertown, in thecounty of Codington and State or SoutliDakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Funnels, ol which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to funnels and similar devices used for fill ng vessels with liquld improved device of this character with automatically operated valve means by which the surplus liquid may be prevented from running out'the discharge tube of the funnel after the latter hasbeen withdrawn from a filled vessel.

,An additional object is tozprovideinanu allyoperatedmeans for enabling the user to open the valve of the funnel and permit the vessel or container.

which will appear from thefollowing dis-e;

closure, the 'nvention residesin the details of construction, combination 'and arra'ngement of parts as, will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the ac;

companying drawings, wherein+ IFigure 1 is'a vertical sectionalview disclosing the arrangement of the parts, ...Figure 2 is a horizontal .sectiontaken through the upper portion ofthe funnel above the valve means and Figure 8 a similar'section taken through thedischarge tube andbetween the guides thBI'GlILQ v y g Y In the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates afunnelof theusual or ordinary type having awide-mouthed, usually conical vessel 2 terminatinginthe discharge tube?) which is inserted in the mouth or neck of the bottle or other receptacle tobe filled and'in applying the present invention to such a; funnel, the mouth of the tube 3 is flanged or covered over with a disk .4 soldered orotherwise fas- This disk has a centened rigidly in place," ter opening communicating with the interior ofthe tubeto permit the contents ofthe vessel 2 toipass'Ithereinfand'a valvefldisk 50f greater diameter than the I opening,v is seated upon the disk 4 for normally closing the tube.- FaStQDGd'tO thGi valve 5 andidepending below the seat is a short rod or wire stem 6 h n e i may be loosely joined to one endof'a lever :7, the latterbeing pivoted upon a stem 8.

g V tion. :Wiilll these ,and other objects in view" an eye atits' lower end so that it V 'Connectedto'theother. end of this lever is a float member by means of which the valve 5 is unseated and this consists of a cork or other buoyant element 9 suspended within the tube 3 by meansofa supporting wire or rod 10, the'latter having an upper portion bent to provide a right angular extension 11 upturned at its end 12 and joined to the lever 7. The lever 7 and the extension 11 each project exteriorly of the tube through the side opening 13 and have their connected ends housed within the lower, enlarged pocket 14 of a protective casing or guard 14, arranged lengthwise of the funnel on the outside and of narrow width at its upper end to form a working channel or tube 14"- guide strips 16 and 1 7 are positioned inside of the tube 3, above and below thelateral' opening-13 and 1 in relatively spaced rela- The guides consist of "narrow 7' strips jotmetalfior other suitable material, f'sup ported transversely of thevtu'be aiid" pro each with an jopening' through. which the rods '61 and respectively pass.

in the lower guide, how;

as'indicated at 18 to viding The opening ever, is elongated" provide for slight lateral play ofthe rod 10 from one sideof the tube to the otherlto effect the openingjor closing of .valve.5. To add some stability to the pendant wire 10a balancing weight 19 is affixed thereto: above the cork 9 and any suitable fastening eleI- ment such as a nut maybe screwed or otherwise secured to the wire beneaththe cork for holding the latter, in place.

Disposed within the upper channel por tion of the casing 14 is avalve control rod 15 which is slidably supported the whole length of the channel bySpaced apart bearing lugs 21-; the lower end of the rod extending beyond the, lowermost bearing and'be'nt, as at .22, to engage the pivoted lever 7 rearwardly of. the pivot 8 as shown. 1 At itsup per end the rod pr0 ects. ekteriorly' of the guard and is provided withfahead piece 23 by which it maybe rea lily depressed against the tension of the coiled spring 24 the latter embracing the rod at it'supperv portion and V normally tending tofforce the rod outwardly,

one end. of the spring engaging under the, collar 25 of the rod. and theother endbeing supported on tthe lug 21.; J v e v Protecting the. valve ,5'isa'c'onical hood 26 mounted upon theinside of the funnel 2 Vi and adapted to project outwardly over the to uncover the valve -5- whenever desired.

When in shielding position, the hood is supported-by a stop or rest 28 formed of angle members secured to the funnel wall below the end 27 and projectin outwardly toenwhen it is thrown age and support the hood Being of 'orward above the valve .5,

smaller diameter than the base of the hood,

the valvei5 is completely covered by the overhanging hood and the sloping sides of the latter cause the liquid which is poured into the funnel to flow past the valve disk without impinging directly upon the valve disk. V I

In operation, the tube 3 of the funnel is inserted in the mouth ofa'receptacle and theshield 26 thrown forward over the disk 5. The valve is then opened by depressing rod, 15 which causes the lower bent end 32 to strike against the pivoted lever 7 rocking it so that the float lever moves down-v wardly within the tube 3 while the valve stem moves upwardly tounseatthe disk 5 from the seat 4. Ordinarily, when filling a receptacle, the liquid is poured into the funnel in a steady stream .and this stream would usually fallwith some'force upon any valve -means associated with the discharge tube.

In thepresent instancehoweveigfthe shock or" brunt of the 'falling stream is sustained by the shield 26,v which projects over the valve and'this saves the latter from injury, increasing the effectiveness and usefulness of the vfunnel. Being pointed and provided -with slopin walls, the shield readily absorbs the force of the impingingliquid which is easily broken up and withdrawn from the sloping sides of the funnel so that it drips free of the valve disk 5 which is elevated above the opening 4 through which the flowing liquid passes. I rises in the receptacle and enters the tube, the float 9 rises with it, rocking the lever 7 on its pivot until the valve diskis seated, olosin the openings 4 and shutting ofl fur ther ischarge through thetube. The funnel may then be disjoined from the receptacle and the surplus liquid remaining within the conical vessel 2 ofthe funnel easily returned to its original container or dis charged into some other receptacle. In any event, the discharge of such surplus liquid will be effected, merely by placing the thumb or finger against the head 23 of the rod 15 and depressing the latter until the valve 4 hasbeen opened. Should it at any time be necessary that the valve 5 be re tained in open position against the closing action of the rising float, it may be accomplished by holdingthe rod 15 idepressed so that'it's bent end 2 is extended to pro ide As the liquid an abutment against which the outer end of the lever will contact and be held against further upward movement. vAccordingly,

the valve maythen be closed slowly and in successive steps by the gradual relaxation of pressure on the rod 15, permitting the le-' ver to turn slowly or graduallyon'i'ts pivot.

It .willthus be seen that with these'improve ments, a fuiinel w'ill be found more serviceable and economical, therebeing no waste or'loss of the liquid dur eration. Y

Although the foregoing may be said to comprehend the preferred embodiment of invention, it is to be understood that ininorchanges in the construct1on,embod1- ment of parts, etc., may be resorted to fall within the scope of the invention claimed.

. WVhat I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is V 1. A funnel having a valve-controlleddischarge tube, a casing arranged on the outside of said funnel and communicating with the tube, and manually operated 'meansin said casing for opening the valve of! the discharge tube.

2.IA funnel having a valve stem at one end of the discharge tube, afloat member at "the other end, a pocket formed io nthe outside o'fsald tube and pivotal'means in sa d pocket for mutually contracting and ternatelyfor Opening and closing unwise. 3. A funnel' 'having.gajvalve'fstem atone end of thedischarge tube, a float member'at the other end, a pocket formed .on the ma; side "of said tube, pivotal means *insaid pocket and projecting into said i tube for naitually contracting and separating the said ing andclosi ng the valve, andfa controlling rod" depressible against said pivotalmeanj's for limiting movement of-s'aidpivot'almans'.

4([A funnelhaving its discharge tu-beprovidedfw'ith a side opening,"a g'uardcasing afiixed to the outside ofsaid funnel andconiseparating said stem 'fand fioat member .ale 7 tube and floatmember alternately for openmunicating with the'sidefOpenihgfa valve for closing the dischargetube, afloat below the valve, apivoted connection betweensaid valv'eand float, said 'connectiofif upported w thin said casing 'andworking through the side openingin'the tube,and a depressible rodys'lidably supported within" said casing, for abutment with said pivoted connection.

5. A funnel having a float valve arrange ment for opening and closing the discharge tube and a conical shaped 'ho'od hinged'jto the] funnel above said discharge tub'e',*said hood covering the valve and adapted to propoured'into the funnel. 1

. 5* tect 1t fronrthe "lmp'mgement of liq-uid In testimony whereof Iaflix mysignature. 

